May 2, 2002

Cullowhee, N.C. - Seniors Donovan Minero (baseball) and Christy Attebery (volleyball) were named the 2001-02 Western Carolina Male and Female Athletes of the Year at the Department of Athletics' annual All Sports Banquet Thursday night at the Ramsey Center. In addition to each sports team honoring its most valuable players, Jason Whaley (football) and Yoneko Allen (women's basketball) were honored as the Male and Female Scholar Athletes of the Year.

Minero (San Jose, Calif.), a 2001 American Baseball Coaches Association All-American, was selected Southern Conference Player of the Year, Best Pure Hitter in the SoCon and the seventh-best pro prospect in the league in Baseball America's preseason edition. Minero is a two-time SoCon Player of the Week selection this season, earning the Arby's/Catamount Student-Athlete of the Month honor for his effort, and leads Western in batting average (.392), home runs (14) and RBIs (54). The centerfielder additionally leads the SoCon in home runs and total bases, while ranking among the league's top 10 in batting, RBIs, hits, doubles and slugging percentage. This past month, he was named to the "watch list" for the Smith Award, which is a national player of the year honor.

Attebery (Las Vegas, Nev.), a three-time All-Southern Conference selection, set the league career kills record this past season with 2,109 and ranked 30th nationally in digs. She was also named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-South Region team, becoming just the second player in SoCon history to earn the honor. The outside hitter was a two-time SoCon Player of the Week and was an Arby's/Catamount Student-Athlete of the Month. Attebery, who led the SoCon in digs this past year, leaves Western as its all-time leader in kills, kills per game, digs and digs per game, while ranking second in career service aces.

Whaley (Beulaville, N.C.), who earns the WCU Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year, was named to Verizon's 2001 University Division Academic All-District III football team with his 3.85 cumulative GPA in computer information systems. The rising junior was named "Most Valuable Lineman" by the coaching staff at the conclusion of the most recent spring practice. He was Western's most versatile lineman in 2001, playing right guard, left tackle and left guard.

Allen (Gray Court, S.C.) was named to the 2002 Verizon Women's Basketball Academic All-America District III Second Team with her 3.98 GPA in sport management. On the court, the rising junior ranked third on the team in scoring (234 points), led the team in 3-pointers made (45) and paced the team by averaging over 32 minutes per contest.

Western's Department of Athletics had its most successful seasons in recent history, including a conference title for women's soccer, two SoCon Freshmen of the Year selections, three Most Outstanding Track/Cross Country performers, an individual SoCon champion in men's cross country, 17 individual SoCon track and field champions and a total of 63 all-conference honorees.

With baseball still competing until the end of the month, Western's athletic teams have still combined to win 20 more games overall and 11 more in the league than they did last season. Also, with baseball currently in second place, WCU teams have combined to place 24 spots higher in the league standings than they did last year.

Western also recognized those student-athletes who have been recipients of endowed scholarships including: Todd Buchanan (Ronnie Childress Baseball Scholarship), Rob Hoover (O'Dell Griffin Baseball Scholarship), Alan Beck (Johnny Pust Baseball Scholarship), Jeff Chambers (Walter J. Durr Football Scholarship), Walter Gary (Wallace and Jeanette Hyde Football Scholarship), Pat Moore (Bob Waters Football Scholarship), Brook Stillman (Sanborn Women's Golf Scholarship), Greg Lewis and Meredith Beck (Charles Ross Men's and Women's Golf Scholarship), Mary Faulk (Brydon S. Greene Women's Golf), Kyla Deon (Schrader Women's Soccer Scholarship), Shelby Fitzpatrick (Dee Ann Jagger Women's Tennis Memorial Scholarship), James Irwin (Jack and Sue Wakeley Men's Track/Cross Country Scholarship) and Leslie Martin (Jack and Sue Wakeley Women's Track/Cross Country Scholarship).

Also during the banquet, each of Western's 15 athletic programs and the WCU Cheerleaders selected their team MVPs. Below is a list of each winner.

Walter Gary (Football/Clinton, S.C.): Gary was voted team captain for the second consecutive year and was widely considered the emotional leader of the team. Already a WCU graduate, the fullback was singled out this year by ETSU head coach Paul Hamilton as being the key to the Cats' offensive success.

Mandi Tinsley (Women's Soccer/High Point, N.C.): For the second straight season, Tinsley was named to the Southern Conference All-Tournament Team, helping the Cats reach the SoCon Championship game. She additionally picked up All-SoCon honors after setting a school record for season goals against average (0.99) and for season shutouts (6).

Christy Attebery (Volleyball/Las Vegas, Nev.): Attebery set a SoCon career record for kills, ranked 30th nationally in digs and was an All-SoCon pick for the third time in her career. She additionally was named to the AVCA All-South Region team, becoming just the second SoCon player ever to earn the honor.

Holly Bright (Women's Cross Country/Gainesville, Ga.): Bright helped Western place third in the SoCon Championships, which was the team's highest ever finish. Bright has been nominated for the 2002 Verizon Academic All-District III Team with a 3.783 GPA in Biology.

Jesse Norman (Men's Cross Country/Willow Springs, N.C.): Norman was the Southern Conference individual champion and subsequently named the league's Male Runner of the Year. His effort helped WCU place third, which tied a school record for its best finish.

Kevin Martin (Men's Basketball/Zanesville, Ohio): Martin was named Freshman All-American and finished the season ranked 11th nationally in scoring with a 22.1 average. The 6-6 guard was additionally an All-SoCon pick and set a WCU record by draining 42 consecutive free throws.

Laura Echols (Women's Basketball/Conyers, Ga.): Echols was named to the Verizon Academic All-District III team for the second year in a row with a 3.56 GPA, as well as to the All-Southern Conference Team for a third straight year. The senior finished her career with 1,765 career points, which put her at second on WCU's career scoring list, as well as ranking among the WCU all-time leaders in field goals made, free throws made, rebounds and blocked shots.

Michelle Velez (Women's Indoor Track/Asheville, N.C.): Velez won the Southern Conference indoor title in the pole vault. The sophomore set a WCU record and was an NCAA provisional qualifier by clearing a height of 12'7.5". Velez additionally was tabbed SoCon Female Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week for April 3.

Darrus Cofield (Men's Indoor Track/Asheville, N.C.): Cofield was a two-time Southern Conference indoor champion, winning titles in the 200 and the 400 meters.

Shannon Zalinski (Women's Tennis/Greer, S.C.) and Emmy King (Women's Tennis/Marietta, Ga.): These co-MVP's helped Western defeat East Tennessee for Western's first conference win in five years. Zalinski is a member of the honor roll posting a 3.489 GPA and King was also voted a co-captain by her teammates this season.

Line Cordes (Women's Golf/Bronderslev, Denmark): Cordes was named SoCon Freshman of the Year and became the first Catamount to be named to the All-Conference Team. She earned SoCon Golfer of the Week honors twice this year. Cordes took medalist honors at the Great Smokies Invitational and helped the team win three events this season, marking the first ever titles by the program.

Greg Lewis (Men's Golf/Stanley, N.C.): Lewis set two Western Carolina records in his senior season. First, he shot a school-record 211 at the SoCon Championships to finish fourth. That effort lowered his season scoring average to 74.23, which is a WCU record.

Virginia LaCombe (Women's Outdoor Track/Granite Falls, N.C.): LaCombe won the SoCon Outdoor women's high jump, clearing 5'8", as well as winning the indoor high jump title. She added an individual outdoor title in the heptathlon to earn Most Outstanding Field Performer at the SoCon Outdoors. LaCombe also qualified and finished 16th in the high jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Jared Maliska (Men's Outdoor Track/Hayesville, N.C.): Maliska was a three-time All-Southern Conference honoree this spring. The senior finished second in the decathlon, fourth in the 400-meter hurdles and fourth in the 110-meter hurdles.

Donovan Minero (Baseball/San Jose, Calif.) and Ryan Schade (Baseball/Lewisburg, Pa.): Minero is a two-time Southern Conference Player of the Week and currently leads the league in home runs. The senior additionally leads the team in batting, doubles, home runs and RBIs. Schade, who was tabbed "Best Defensive Third Baseman in the SoCon" by Baseball America prior to the season, was named the National Player of the Week by National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Schade additionally picked up SoCon Player of the Week honors. The senior ranks among the league leaders in batting, hits, runs scored and total bases.

Eddie Wells and Mandy Malool (Cheerleading): Wells and Malool helped Western place third in the Small Co-ed Division at Nationals held in Daytona Beach, Fla. April 4-7.